Tips for Opening a Checking Account After Being Reported to Chexsystems

Just about everyone can appreciate the convenience of having a checking account. Checking accounts allow you to easily pay your bills, whether on the phone, on the web, by mail or in person. You can also set up automatic withdrawals with a checking account, to avoid late payment penalties and eliminate the need to remember when certain bills are due each month. The list of the advantages goes on and on, depending on how you choose to use your account and what goals you have in mind.

What most people fail to realize, though, is that having a bank account is a privilege, and if for some reason you don’t responsibly handle your account, that privilege will be revoked. Not only will the privilege be revoked from that particular bank or credit union, but your name will be reported to Chexsystems, a special consumer reporting agency that protects financial institutions from potential fraud and other losses. Once reported to Chexsystems, where your name will remain for the next five years, most people find it nearly impossible to open a checking—or even a savings account—elsewhere, because more than 80% of banks use Chexsystems to verify new accounts.

With a little bit of patience, research and time, you no longer have to inconvenience yourself by paying your bills each month with cash or by purchasing costly money orders. By following the instructions below, you are sure to again enjoy the privilege of having a checking account at a reputable bank.

Tip # 1 - Pay off what you owe the bank in question, keep proof and take it to the new institution of your choice. If you know that the bank you desire to open an account at uses Chexsystems to verify new accounts (signs are usually posted inside the bank) don’t go to a regular bank employee; request the bank manager, instead. Most bank managers will approve a new account if you show them proof that the financial institution that appears on Chexsystmes has been paid off. Bank managers are people, too, and most know that not all people in Chexsystems are criminals, and that most are decent individuals who simply encountered an episode of bad luck.

Tip # 2 - Find a bank that doesn’t use Chexsystems. This may prove to be a real task, although not impossible. There are more banks than you think that utilize a similar consumer reporting agency, Telecheck, instead. Other banks and credit unions use neither, and as long as you don’t owe that particular institution money, you can open an account. Some banks that don’t use Chexsystems are: TCF, Fort Sill National Bank, and The Heritage Bank. TCF, with locations in the Midwest, uses neither Chexsystems or Telecheck, and as long as you don’t owe them money, you can open any type of account that you desire. Fort Sill National Bank is a military bank, but civilians are allowed to open accounts as well, with no type of credit verification. This can be done online or in person, and they have branches in Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and a few other states. The Heritage Bank is based in Georgia and will open an account for anyone, with no credit check.

Tip # 3 - A few banks even offer what’s referred to as a second-chance checking account. This type of checking account allows you the convenience of a checking account, but with restricted privileges. Other banks will grant you a checking account only after attending a special class about responsible account management. Each financial institution that offers second chance checking accounts have their own rules and stipulations, so you need to check with the bank of your choice for further information before signing up. Some banks that offer some type of second chance checking accounts are: Key Bank, Chase Bank, and Beacon Federal, in Tennessee.

When you open your new checking account, you may love the bank so much that you will still continue to bank with them even after your name has been removed from Chexsystems. If you don’t like the bank that you’ve chosen, you can either search for another “lenient” institution or wait until the five years have passed and have your name cleared from Chexsystems. In the meantime, you can practice proving to yourself and your bank that you are able to responsibly manage your checking account on a regular basis.

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